Compensation for All Victims of Terror

August 31, 2005

The teenage Israeli soldier who killed four Israeli Arabs in a shooting rampage on a bus has been branded a Jewish terrorist, but the people who died cannot be recognized as terrorist victims, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Under current law, an assailant must be a member of the "enemy forces" against Israel for the action to be considered terrorism, said Mayan Malkin, a spokeswoman with the Defense Ministry. But in this case the shooter was Jewish and his attack cannot be designated as terror, said Malkin.

.One might posit that anyone who shoots citizens of Israel – 20% of the population of Israel is Arab – is an enemy of Israel. A true "Friend of Israel" seeks to change this xenophobic situation, not defend it. Luckily, not only is the Israeli Prime Minister's office seeking to change, or at least review, its compensation laws, and Knesset member Mohammed Barakeh is seeking to amend the law to include any one hurt by "hostile activities by a terror organization", much better definition.